east, probably saved two million people from starvation, and was a very energetic secretary of commerce under harding and coolidge after this election. but in terms of personality, dower, pragmatic. you listen to -- one of the reasons why i think franklin roosevelt comes across like gangbusters, is impression with the fireside chats is the act he is following. after herbert hoover, anybody could have sounded good. >> host: moving on to be 1948. harry truman's improbable victory, published last year. you write: victory has a thousand fathers. defeat, in 1946, had one. harry truman. if he appeared ineffectual before election day that year he seemed outright repulsive after that. democrats faulted him and not the effect of 16 years of their rule for their debacle. they wanted him out and wanted him out now. >> guest: yes, they did. he was not -- we saw in this last presidential round of primaries, with the'mans, where everybody was saying i'm the next reagan, this guy -- no. there's not another reagan. and there wasn't another franklin roosevelt, and harry truman sure as hell to use his s